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CONSTRUCTION DETAILS
AND SPECIFICATIONS
May 2002
TABLE OF CONTENTS
SECTION PAGES
I General Information 1
IV Nomographs 17
Chart 1 Headwater Depth for Box Culverts with Inlet Control 18
Chart 2 Headwater Depth for Concrete Pipe Culverts with Inlet Control 19
Chart 3 Headwater Depth for Oval Concrete Pipe Culverts (Long Horizontal. Axis)
with Inlet Control 20
Chart 4 Headwater Depth for Oval Concrete Pipe Culverts (Long Vertical Axis)
with Inlet Control 21
Chart 5 Headwater Depth for Corrugated Metal Culverts with Inlet Control 22
Chart 6 Headwater Depth for Corrugated Metal Arch Culverts with Inlet Control 23
Chart 7 Headwater Depth for Circular Pipe Culverts with Beveled Ring with Inlet Control 24
Chart 8 Head for Concrete Box Culverts Flowing Full with n = 0.012 25
Chart 9 Headwater Depth for Concrete Pipe Culverts Flowing Full with n = 0.012 26
Chart 10 Head for Oval Concrete Pipe Culverts Long Axis Horizontal or Vertical
Flowing full with n = 0.012 27
Chart 11 Head for Standard Corrugated Metal Pipe Culverts Flowing Full with n = 0.012 28
Chart 12 Head for Standard Corrugated Metal Pipe-Arch Culverts
Flowing Full with n = 0.024 29
Chart 13 Head for Structural Plate Corrugated Metal Pipe Culverts
Flowing Full with n = 0.0328 to 0.0302 30
Chart 14 Head for Structural Plate Corrugated Metal Pipe-Arch Culverts
18 inch Corner Radius Flowing Full n = 0.0327 to 0.0306 31
Elements of Channel Sections 32
Culvert Pipe Design Sheet 33
V Design Example
Calculations for Bankfull Capacity on Natural Streams 34
Sizing Culvert Pipe 35
Design Example Culvert Pipe Design Sheet 37
CULVERT CHARACTERISTICS
A culvert is a conduit placed within earthfill to carry stream flow. It is designed to
safely carry designed flows without damage to the embankment or stream channel, be
structurally adequate to carry loads from fill and traffic, be economically suitable for the
intended purpose and be durable. Some of the common uses for culvert pipes include
stream crossings from driveway to Interstate highways, livestock crossings, utility
crossings, water conveyance, grade stabilization and manure transfer. Common
shapes of and entrance and exit configurations of culvert pipes are shown below.
Beveled Edges
HYDRAULICS OF CULVERTS
The economical design of a culvert usually calls for the smallest structure that
will carry the design discharge for a fixed head on the inlet. A number of factors must
be considered in determining a satisfactory size.
Roughness – A smooth pipe carries more water than a rough pipe, other factors
being equal. A concrete pipe culvert flowing full may have a Manning coefficient of
0.010, while corrugated metal may have a Manning coefficient of 0.025. The concrete
pipe flowing full carries two and one-half times as much water as the same size of
corrugated metal.
Inlet Design – Culverts with an entrance treatment that directs water to it’s
opening such as a pipe mitered to the slope or flared end sections tend to flow full.
Culverts with poorly designed inlets often do not flow full. Inlet design is particularly
important in short culverts or long culverts on steep slopes. Inlet design is of lesser
importance in long culverts on flat slopes.
Slope – If a culvert flows full with a free outlet, the fall from the inlet to the outlet
becomes available as additional head. Increasing the slope increases this head and
Design Guide MD #5 Culverts
NRCS Engineering, Maryland
May, 2002
Page 4
also the resultant discharge. Slope is not important when the control section is at the
inlet. Since the culvert does not flow full, an increase in slope causes an increase in
velocity but a decrease in the depth of flow in the culvert barrel. There is no increase in
the culvert discharge.
Length – The length will determine whether a culvert on a flat slope will flow full
with a poorly designed inlet. Length is also a factor in culverts flowing full as the head
loss due to friction increases with length.
The greatest economy will result from designs based on the culvert flowing full.
This requires careful attention to the inlet design, the slope and the roughness.
Pipe, Concrete
Projecting from fill, socket end (groove-end) 0.2
Projecting from fill, sq. cut end 0.5
Headwall or headwall and wingwalls
Socket end of pipe (groove-end) 0.2
Square-edge 0.5
Rounded (radius = 1/12D) 0.2
Mitered to conform to fill slope 0.7
*End-Section conforming to fill slope 0.5
Beveled edges, 33.7o or 45o bevels 0.2
Side- or slope-tapered inlet 0.2
*Note: “End Section conforming to fill slope,” made of either metal or concrete, are the
sections commonly available from manufacturers. From limited hydraulic tests they are
equivalent in operation to a headwall in both inlet and outlet control. Some end
sections, incorporating a closed taper in their design, have a superior hydraulic
performance. These latter sections can be designed using the information given for the
beveled inlet.
Design Guide MD #5 Culverts
NRCS Engineering, Maryland
May, 2002
Page 8
TABLE 2 – MANNINGS ROUGHNESS COEFFICIENTS
Manning’s n for Natural Stream Channels
4/ (Surface width at flood stage less than 100 ft.)
I have reviewed and understand the operation and maintenance plan contained herein.
______________________________ _________ ____________________ _____
Landowner/Operator Date District Representative Date
Given Data
2-year peak discharge in channel 48 cfs
Q – Design (Determined from top of bank capacity) Calculate
Tail Water (Tw) Free Outlet
Outlet Invert Elevation 22.0
Inlet Invert Elevation 23.0
Length of Pipe 25 feet
Type of Pipe C.M.P.
Top of Fill El. 27.0
Entrance Type Projecting
Channel Configuration See below
The 2-year peak discharge in the natural stream channel is given (48 cfs). Determine
the capacity of the channel at top of bank.
1
3’
1
4’
The stream channel has the average dimensions of 3 feet deep, 4 feet bottom width,
1:1 side slopes, trapezoidal in shape and has an n value of 0.05 and an average slope
of 0.5 percent.
Calculate channel capacity at top of bank using Manning’s formula and the continuity
equation.
Continuity Equation
Q=AxV
Manning’s Equation
V = 1.486/n x (R)2/3 x S1/2
The capacity of the stream channel at the top of bank is 62 cfs. In accordance with the
stream crossing standard, pass the lesser of the 2-year peak discharge or the channel
capacity at top of bank. The 2-year peak discharge is 48 cfs, which is lesser than the
channel capacity at top of bank (62 cfs). Size the culvert to pass 48 cfs.